RPGBOT.Podcast

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we welcome Alex Seidel, the organized play coordinator for Pathfinder Society and Starfinder Society. We discuss Paizo's organized play leagues, what they have to offer, and how players and GMs can get into organized play. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. It's a quic...

On this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss cosmic horror. Famous for spooky tentacles and grotesque monsters, cosmic horror as a specific subgenre of horror has a lot to offer. We discuss what defines the genre and how you can execute a successful cosmic horror game. Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on ...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we welcome the team behind the Ennie award-winning Uncaged Goddesses. We talk to David, Gwen, and Jess about portraying female deities in an exciting new light, the history of Uncaged, and their new venture Unseelie Studios. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts , and rate us on Spotify or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick...

On this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss chases. We examine chase mechanics across several RPGs, discuss what does and doesn't work about each system, and look for ways to assemble a satisfying chase system from our favorite parts.

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we welcome Greg Tito and Shelly Mazanoble from the Dragon Talk podcast. We discuss Shelly and Greg's work on the official D&D podcast, their upcoming book on the subject, Welcome to Dragon Talk, and 400+ episodes of lifting up the D&D community. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite p...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss haunt, haunting, and haunted things. We talk how to make haunts interesting both as a story device and as a mechanic in any RPG in order to add some self-contained horror to your game. Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. I...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, Zoey Franznick reviews the Vaesen RPG from Free League Publishing as well as their recently-released Mythic Britain and Ireland supplement. We discuss how the game works, what makes it great, and what the new supplement adds to the game. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast a...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss designing custom monsters. How do we make a monster that's unique, exciting, and tells a cool story? How do we turn that into something in our games? Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support th...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we talk to James Gregory, DM for the Roll Britannia Podcast, a UK-based Actual Play D&D podcast. We talk to James about Roll Britannia's playing D&D with your crazy friends, how James and his players keep the podcast going, and Roll Britania's meteoric rise in popularity in the two years since the podcast's launch. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and rev...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss running high complexity creatures. Complicated creatures are difficult for DMs/GMs to manage at the table, and can often turn what should be an exciting encounter into a frustrating slog for everyone. We offer some tips and ideas to help you get the most out of what should be your most interesting opponents. Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we talk to independent TTRPG writer Alan Patrick. We discuss Alan's work as a writer, including for organized play groups, Wizards of the Coast, Adventurer's League, and other publishers including Frog God and Modiphius. Alan explains his writing process, his experiences as a writer, and shares some advice for writing and improving your own adventures. If you've...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss describing things. If you're anything like the folks on this podcast, you might struggle to find the words to describe important things in your game. We couldn't figure out how to do it better, so we brought in an expert to teach us. Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rat...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we discus Kobold Press's latest supplemenet, the Book of Ebon Tides. We discuss the "Shadow Realm", its mercurial fey inhabitants, and all of the other great things in the book, including setting ideas and character options. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. It's a qu...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss traps and hazards. Traps have been a staple of dungeon fantasy games like DnD since its earliest days. How do we make traps fun, challenging, and interesting, without making them feel like they're unfairly punishing players? Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on ...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we discuss the first-ever Wizards Direct. We discuss product announcements for DnD's 2023 releases, the new digital/physical bundles, D&D Digital, and the beginning of the "One D&D" public playtest. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support t...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss 5-room dungeons. Johnn Four, creator of the 5-Room Dungeon, joins us to explain what a 5-room dungeon is and how you can use it to design excellent stories which go well beyond a dungeon crawl. Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podca...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we discuss the upcoming adventure Rultmoork from AAW Games. Jonathan G. Nelson and Thilo Graffe of AAW Games join us to discuss their latest long-form adventure, its unique mechanics around duality, and what players can expect from the adventure. Jonathan and Thilo also tease the title of their next big adventure! If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and revi...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss gold and wealth in TTRPGs. We look at the long-standing problem of making gold important in DnD 5e and how we can borrow ideas from other RPGs in order to make gold and wealth both meaningful and interesting in DnD. Find Ash on StartPlaying. Games . If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  ...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we talk to Alex Kammer. Alex runs Gamehole Con and True Dungeon, is an avid TSR-era D&D collector, and also a D&D creator in his own right. We talk to Alex about all of the amazing things he's working on, including Gamehole Con and an project with Frog God Games. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  ...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss spellcasting and resource management around spells and magic. We look at things like vancian magic, spell slots, spell points, and other resource management systems use to just barely keep magic from ruining everything. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts , and rate us on Spotify or your favorite podcast app. It'...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we discuss the newly-released Spelljammer: Advemtures in Space for DnD 5e. We look at the new character options, the setting, the mechanics, the monsters, and the adventure and share our thoughts. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss crafting mechanics in TTRPGs. We look at crafting in DnD, Pathfinder, and some of our other favorite RPGs. We look at what works, what doesn't, why, and what tools are available to make crafting more interesting and worthwhile. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podca...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we catch up on general news half-way through 2022. We discuss general RPGBOT news, some minor TTRPG events and announcements, our success at the Ennies, and recent and upcoming conventions. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcas...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we discuss TTRPG survival mechanics. We discuss what we want from a survival game, what is currently available in games like DnD and Pathfinder, and what we can steal from other games to make survival work in our favorite TTRPGs. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app. I...

In this episode of the RPGBOT.News, we discuss Pathfinder 2e's latest supplement, "Dark Archive." We look at the two new classes and the mountain of other character options, as well as the included adventures and DM resources, including all sorts of cool, spooky stuff. If you've enjoyed the show, please rate and review us on  Apple Podcasts , and rate us on  Spotify  or your favorite podcast app....